Mason's Children

Lyrics:Robert HunterMusic:Jerry Garcia

Recorded for Workingman's Dead, but not included on the original release of that album. It was played live less than 20 times in total in 1969 and 1970.
It has recently been revived by Phil Lesh & Friends, and by "The Dead".

Mason died on Monday
We bricked him in the wall
All his children grew and grew
They never grew so tall before
May they never grow so tall again

We dug him up on Tuesday
He'd hardly aged a day
Taught us all he ever knew
We never knew so much before
We may never know so much again

Mason was a mighty man
A mighty man was he
All he said, when dead and gone
Don't you weep for me

The wall collapsed on Wednesday
We chalked it up to fate
All his children ran and hid
We never hid so well before
Swore we'd never show our face again

Thursday came, then Friday
With fires tall and bright
Mason's children cooked the stew
And cleaned up when the feast was through
Swore we'd never had such times before

Take me to the Reaper Man
To pay back what was loaned
If he's in some other land
Write it off as stoned

Notes(1) included as a bonus track on remastered album, first released as part of the box set The Golden Road (1965-1973)(2) I'm not sure whether this is a different version from that on "Those Who Know History ..."(3) the full title of the CD is "Comin' Down Fast - A Collection of Garbage, Lies and Reflections on Charles Manson." It contains songs by various artists.
The Motorpshyco track is titles "Manson's Children" but is the Dead's song.